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April 9, 2016

TAKE ACTION: Tell the Senate to Stop Poisoning Now

“I paid my taxes, and paid an awful lot for water, and they poisoned my child through the water.”

That's a quote from Luke Waid, a laid-off aerospace worker in Flint, Michigan, who was threatened that Child Protective Services would take away his baby daughter Sophia because she had high blood lead levels. That was before officials realized Flint's water supply was contaminated with lead. Mr. Waid is now suing Flint and Michigan officials, at least to assure that Sophia's medical bills will be covered.

Families in Flint, MI continue to use bottled water for cooking, bathing, and drinking. The Senate left for a two-week recess without acting to provide funding and loan guarantees towards fixing the pipes and public health measures.

The Senate will be back on Monday, April 11. Please tell your Senators to pass the Drinking Water Safety and Infrastructure Act. (Please send this easy click-and-send email right now - before you get distracted by a million other things.)Thanks so much if you're among the thousands of people who have contacted your Senators!

But the people of Flint and in thousands of other communities with lead-contaminated water need us to show we haven't forgotten. Senators Stabenow and Peters of Michigan have been working hard to get the Senate to take up legislation to pay for some desperately needed fixes for Flint's poisoned water. It will take 60 votes to pass such provisions, either through a vote on their bill, S. 2579, the Drinking Water Safety and Infrastructure Act, or perhaps through an amendment to another bill (such as the energy bill they're working on).

We cannot let up. There was a whole lot of news in the last 2 weeks, pushing lead-poisoned children off the front pages. Every Senator must hear from constituents that they must on their return vote to protect Flint's children from the lifelong consequences of lead poisoning, and to ensure safe water for everyone in that community and in others with lead-contaminated water. You can do that with a few clicks - right here.

Why you should take action: It helps if we can say that many thousands of constituents care enough to contact their Senators. So it doesn't matter if you know your Senators are likely to support this or to oppose - we need to build up these numbers. Please forward this request to your networks, too - so more people can tell their Senators to act now.

Tell your Senators to vote for S. 2579, the Drinking Water Safety and Infrastructure Act - and to insist that Senate leadership put its provisions up for a vote NOW. Click here to contact them.